Photo credit: Chevrolet
Happy birthday, Corvette!!
71 years ago today, the first Chevrolet Corvette rolled off a makeshift assembly line in Flint, Michigan, and captured the hearts of Americans. What is remarkable about this achievement is that Chevrolet was able to start production of the Corvette on June 30, 1953 – just six months after its public presentation at the GM Motorama in New York City.
Harley Earl was GM’s design chief. The story goes that he was at a race at Watkins Glen in New York to show off his La Sabre concept car when he first had the vision to build a two-seat sports car to compete with the likes of Jaguar, MG and Ferrari. The first prototype, codenamed “Project Opel,” was created using a new construction method that utilized glass-reinforced plastic, what we now call fiberglass. The first Corvette was unveiled in January 1953 at the GM Motorama Show at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City to great reviews. The little white roadster received great praise from audiences, prompting GM to fast-track production of the Corvette. The first retail models were hand-assembled in the back of Chevrolet’s Customer Delivery Center in Flint, Michigan, just six months later.
Chevrolet built 300 Corvettes during the 1953 model year. A uniform design allowed workers to concentrate on assembling the bodies without being distracted by differences in trim and features. As a result, all 1953 model year Corvettes were finished in Polo White with Sportsman Red interiors and were equipped with a cloth top, 6.70 x 15 whitewall tires, and a Delco radio with signal search. Also standard were a 5,000 rpm tachometer and a counter for total engine rpm.
Although some sports car purists took exception to the fact that the Corvette was only available with the 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission, the Corvette was still a decent sports car, with well-tuned examples capable of 0-60 mph in 11 seconds and a top speed of just under 105 mph. The Blue Flame six-cylinder reportedly produced 150 horsepower after engineers gave the engine a more aggressive camshaft, solid lifters, dual valve springs and a higher compression ratio.
The Corvette’s original base price was set at $3,498.00. However, the general public had a hard time getting one, as most were given to project engineers, GM executives and other prominent customers, including Hollywood movie stars such as John Wayne. In fact, a dealer memo from headquarters in July 1953 announced, “No dealer is in a position to accept firm orders for delivery of a Corvette in 1953.”
Chevrolet took the first two Corvettes off the assembly line and used them for engineering testing, with both eventually being destroyed. This makes VIN 003 the oldest Corvette still in existence, but this car is not without controversy as the VIN 003’s frame was separated from the body for additional testing and there are now two 1953 Corvettes that are said to be the oldest still in existence. You can see them at the NCM (frame) and in the collection of the late Dave Ressler (body).
As more production Corvettes rolled off the assembly line, Chevrolet used several of them as promotional vehicles. Thus was born the “Corvette Dealer Tour.” Dealers were given one of the Polo-white sports cars to display in their showrooms and use the opportunity to attract customers to see it in person.
The Corvette’s road to success was rocky in its early years, and the car was almost discontinued after the 1955 model year, when only 700 examples were built. This is when Zora Arkus-Duntov’s engineering talents began to pay off, as a Chevy V8 was finally installed in the Corvette, and 1957 saw technological leaps with the addition of a proper 4-speed manual transmission and fuel injection.
Photo credit: David D’Onofrio
The Chevrolet Corvette has come a long way since the first one rolled off the assembly line in 1953. Although we celebrate all Corvettes on this anniversary, it all began 71 years ago today.
Related:
Friday is the official “Drive Your Corvette to Work” day.
71 years ago today the Corvette was introduced to the public
It’s official! MotorTrend names the Corvette the most iconic car of the last 75 years
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